


Bird Brain

by FaboKraken



Series: Random Writings From All Over [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill is a Bird, Gen, Mild Cursing, Raven - Freeform, Reincarnation, alternative universe, panic/anxiety attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26604175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaboKraken/pseuds/FaboKraken
Summary: Bill Cipher, the powerful demon feared by so many, decides to fuck around by stealing a nerd’s pens. Because when you’re reborn as a bird, have no powers or any real means of speech beside croaks and mimicry, well things get a bit boring.
Relationships: Family - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, platonic - Relationship
Series: Random Writings From All Over [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935355
Kudos: 27





	1. Pens and Dorks

**Author's Note:**

> Just a drabble writing I did for a Gravity Falls au I made awhile ago, this is mostly just writing practice for me to get back in the groove of things. I decided to get out of my usual bubble of Invader Zim fics and play around with this au of mine. Though honestly I have no clue what to call it, so any ideas for a name are welcomed. Anyhow, hope you find it amusing, it’s mostly nonsense and all you need to know is Bill Cipher was reborn as a piebald raven and he’s just the same prick he was but in a bird’s body. And the Pines know it’s Bill, but he’s a bird and has no power, so they let him stick around. Also this fic takes place about four years after the show’s end. Hope it’s something amusing to read.

Bill was bored.  
  
Not an uncommon occurrence, but an annoying one. Especially when he could easily remember all the chaos and hell he’d once unleashed upon countless, pathetic realms and dimensions before even encountering Earth. But right now? He couldn’t even light a simple flame if he wanted.

No, because of course not. Birds don’t get the ability to light things on fire. Absolutely bullshit if you asked his opinion. 

Circles, what he wouldn’t give for opposable thumbs though. At least then he could just light a match. The illusion of power was something afterall. Though then again... now that he really thought about it, did he ever actually have opposable thumbs? Ugh, that was weird to think about. Shit... did he really not have thumbs before?   
  
Bill would have sighed if he could, shifting his position on the table he was absently perched on. But since birds didn’t do that either, he settled for giving a low croak, dragging his beak through his mismatched black and white feathers before shaking out his wings. Bill would have also loved to be able to frown right now, or burn this damn building to the ground. He honestly didn’t like thinking about his old self, still rather pissed about loosing the top hat and cane.

Those had looked so fucking good on him too. Especially in his three-dimensional form? Hot damn. At least Mabel had made him a bow tie.

With another harsh croak, Bill decided to see what the girl was up to, she was often more fun then her brother. Fucking Mason. Dipper had kicked him out of the gift shop earlier and was the whole reason Bill was so antsy to do something.

Most the time he could just mess with the stupid customers of the Shack (as long as Soos or that Melody woman didn’t catch him), steal some shiny trinkets off them (when the older Pine twins were around, Stan didn’t say a word about it as long as he got a share of the goods), and do whatever else his dark heart desired.  
But not today apparently. Because Dipper had caught him mid-swoop, aiming for the wallet a woman had dropped, before the teen had effectively banished the raven from the store. 

Buzzkill.   
  
Bill took off in the direction of the attic, the younger Pine twins still content to use the space when they came over in the summer or whenever they could pop over.  
As he flew up the stairs, Bill couldn’t help but reflect on how at least he didn’t have to deal with anything complicated like doorknobs. He usually just had to get Mabel’s or Dipper’s attention by knocking on the door or screeching at said door until they opened up. 

He landed with a harsh caw, just shy of the last step up, hopping along towards the attic door before freezing. Was that music and abnormally loud girlish screaming? Nope.

The raven quickly turned around and headed back towards the kitchen, he was not dealing with Mabel’s... friends. Especially not that terrifying monster of a Grenada. Humans should not have voices that deep... just creepy.   
Bill shuddered, shaking his head with a dull clack of his beak. Well... now what? 

The older Pines were around... hmm. Bill shifted where he stood on the dining room table, slowly stalking along before flying towards the floor. Cautiously, the raven peered into the living room, and yup. There was Stan, passed out, currently wearing only his boxers and a dirty tee (When was the last time that thing had been washed?) with some weird soap opera playing as the man just snorted away.

Well, Bill turned around and hopped off back towards the kitchen, he was not waking that mess up.

He wouldn’t admit it, even if he could speak and be readily understood, but he was still wary of that man. Bill was just unnerved that he’d been outsmarted and so easily destroyed. Gone. Just like that.   
And sure, Stan didn’t seem like much, but Bill didn’t know what to expect from him.   
  
He’d paid too much attention to Sixer. Bill really fucking wished he could sigh, settling for that light croak of his before stalking towards where he knew one of those entrances to lab was.  
Bill could work an elevator. And after Ford had gone through his whole panic and frenzy at the realization that Bill was back, after realizing that Bill couldn’t actually do anything to him or his family, he was honestly so much more chill. 

Sixer also was just so easy for Bill to mess with. And that was just fun. So Bill decided that he could at least amuse himself and when he got bored, he could just see what Fordsey was up to now.

Especially now that the man had come back from that trip he’d gone on with Glasses. Ford would probably like having someone to ramble to about it to be honest. 

With his mind made up, Bill made his way down to the lab. 

It was still a mess of a place. And that was some level of familiarity as the raven flew along to find the man. It took some time, Bill admittedly getting distracted here and there by something just too damn shiny or flashy for him to ignore, but he ended up finding Fordsey at his desk, writing.

Bill gave a harsh caw, “LOSER!” And he absolutely cackled when the man jumped at the sudden noise, pen jerking off the page with a splattering of ink. Ford swung around and glared as the raven happily perched on the man’s shoulder, still cackling.   
  
The man just gave him a loud, annoyed sigh, before turning back to his journal, “Hello to you, too, Bill. Though, could you stop doing that?”

Bill merely cawed a cheerful, “No.”

Ford gave a harsh huff, shaking his head though a touch of an amused laugh broke through. The raven would have smiled if he could at that, but since he couldn’t, he settled for turning to regard the page Sixer was writing on.

The man glanced at the bird over his glasses, shifting his shoulder lightly, “Collected a few curious samples of some mushrooms yesterday.” He tapped his pen absently against the few jars sitting on his desk, the raven turning to regard the odd, mangled looking specimens before gazing at the pen within Ford’s grasp.

Ford didn’t notice though, absently swinging his pen as he began to talk again, “Fiddleford was convinced they were flashing some kind of Morse code, but I think it’s just co-“

Bill started to subtly adjust himself as Ford got going, though he was listening vaguely to the talk about the oddity Sixer had found, the pen was absolutely irresistible. Just begging to be taken, shimmering slightly in the lighting. He just had to have it!

Ford shook his head, now going on about some theories of his, before the pen came close enough that Bill was sure he could get it. The raven was off before Ford could register the sudden wing slapping him in the face and the pen being slipped right from his fingertips.   
  
Bill cawed excitedly as he landed on the desk, tail and wings flared out as he quickly flew off with pen held high.

”HEY! Bill! Give that back!”

The raven landed briefly, glancing around sharply, before he launched himself off the ground as he heard the scrap of a chair against the floor and the fumbling of Sixer getting to his feet. But Bill was already perched too high for him to reach when the man followed after. So Ford merely settled for standing under the bird, the man glaring up at Bill with an annoyed frown. 

Bill loved it. That was just priceless. Espically when the annoyed frown became a little pout, just perfection. 

”Bill, that is one of my few remaining pens! I swear if you don’t give it back-“

Bill crinkled his eyes in absolute delight, bending his head down to dangle the pen over the man’s head. A six-fingered hand took a swipe at it before Ford groaned as Bill hurriedly took it just out of reach.

The two stared at each other before Sixer caved, waving a dismissive hand as he wandered back to his desk. Bill watched as the man began to search his desk before realizing he actually was out of pens.

Bill cackled.

He might not have powers, but it was surprising what trouble Bill could get into in this body. The wings were an absolute delight.   
  
After a moment Ford sat down heavily in his chair and spun around to just glare. “I will get the broom.”

Bill returned the look before rolling his eyes, “Fine.”

The man perked up, and the raven flew back down, holding the pen out, Sixer taking it back after a moment of hesitation.   
  
The raven cawed lightly, and Bill turned to gaze back towards the mushrooms, “Explain.”

Sixer lit up, “Oh, so you were listening?”

The raven merely clacked his beak, settling himself as Ford began to happily continue what he’d been saying.

And Bill couldn’t help but get invested. 


	2. Boredom and Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think I’m just going to build onto this whenever I get writer’s block. It’s fun, and I hope it’s enjoyable to read.

Boredom and teenagers, from what Bill had observed, didn’t go well together. Especially if that bored teenager was none other than Mabel Pines.

And it didn’t take much for the girl to get bored either... and he was having to suffer the damn consequences. 

“Is your name short for William?”

“Okay... so if you had to choose, a duck, that is like, tiger sized! Or fight a, uh a tiger that is duck-sized? Uh... which would you choose?”

“Hey. Hey, so like... what’s your opinion on glitter? I don’t think we’ve talked about glitter enough.”

“Why a top hat? Just... why?”

“You’re like a cat... just an asshole bird. How’s that going for you?”

“Bow ties are cool. They look nice on suits... think I could work a suit? Stan makes it look so easy! I think I could rock a suit! Could I rock a suit?”

“Bill. Buddy, do you think... a snake and a badger... do you think they could make it, like, work?”

“What about a goat and a pig? How long do you think their marriage could... hold true? You know what I mean?”

“How did you... like smell before? Without a nose? Could you smell before... you didn’t really have a face before... I think?”

“So. Triangle... what’s that like?”

“But seriously... is your name short for William? Or like Billy?”

“Hey. Hey Bill. What’s your favorite color?”

Bill closed his eyes and clicked his beak softly before gazing slowly at Mabel. The girl just kept asking questions.

And seeing as there was nothing better to do, he kept answering on the machine that Glasses had made (a stupidly colorful thing that looked like a child’s toy). Quickly tapping on the little keyboard of the thing, he paused to quickly read over the message before clicking proceed.

The mechanical voice droned out, “Yellow. Duh. It’s the best. How many more questions are you going to fucking ask me?”

Mabel hummed sweetly and shrugged before leaning towards the driver’s seat, “Hey! Dippin’ Dots, how much longer?”

Dipper shrugged, pausing Disco Girl for a moment as he glanced back in the backview mirror. He then gave an apoplectic smile, “Like another half an hour... maybe?”

Bill screeched, “FUCK!”

Dipper just gazed back at the road and rolled his eyes, “Poor baby.”

”Asshole!”

Dipper snorted, turning up the volume before allowing the music to blast through the speakers again. Then, he called over the music in a sing-song voice, “Mabel, can you deal with the whiny brat of an ex-demon~? Can’t distract the driver~!” 

The raven hissed until Mabel picked him up from the seat next to her and placed the bird in her lap. Bill felt a flutter of embarrassment and annoyance before the girl began to stroke his feathered head.

And fuck. It felt good and the bird was leaning into it with flittering eyelids before he could even process his own actions.

He pointedly ignored the laughs and settled himself down. Whatever. Fucking teenagers. See if he cared? Nope!   
  
And so what if the raven ended up passing out? He just got to skip the boring parts of the trip!

So when the car stopped and Dipper finally turned the thing off, Bill was lifted up from where he’d been curled up on Mabel’s lap. He squinted sleepily at the girl and she merely decided to scoop him up in her arms, the bird just going limp, because whatever.

Bill was tired, and as so, he just closed his eyes again, resting his head on the fluff of his chest, as the muffled voices of the two teens brushed against his consciousness before he was right the fuck out again.


	3. Things and Stuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you just feel like shit. And things are too loud and scary even though they shouldn’t be. Bird boi Bill gets a bad case of the anxiety and panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some heavy vibes with this one, got lots of panic and anxiety, descriptions of a bird tearing out feathers and other negative behaviors, but it ends with comfort. Just really bad anxiety and panic experienced by an ex-demon.
> 
> For some more background information on this au, Bill was reborn as just a regular piebald raven. He lived like that for three years before regaining his memories when he discovered the statue while foraging around the shack for scraps. So thing is, even though Bill has all his memories and stuff now, he’s majorly just a bird. A bird that has a lotta baggage and anxiety now.

Bill was spaced out so fucking bad. And the funny thing? He wasn’t even sure why.

The raven was currently perched in the gift shop next to Red, the redhead flipping through a magazine or something, and for some reason, he couldn’t really focus on anything.

Even when tourists began to leave for the day, when a few casted him curious looks as they left, when some dropped something shiny or curious that they probably wouldn’t notice was missing until a few hours after, well... he just couldn’t bring himself to care.  
  
Because his heart felt like it was going to explode? But that wasn’t right? Would his heart actually explode? Could that happen?

He began to run his beak along his feathered chest, not even really noticing as he began to tear out a few until he was flicking them away with nothing more than a dull stare.

They’d grow back. It’d be fine. Pain was supposed to be funny (even though it wasn’t and he knew that this vessel was the last he’d ever get).   
  
He began to shift around where he stood after a moment of that, Bill clicking his beak as his breathing began to become something more frantic (that was okay, the body needed air, it was fine, why couldn’t he breath? He was breathing? He needed air). He went back to pull at his feathers with the new rush of energy, flapping his wings and not noticing Red’s look or the young woman’s departure. 

Maybe if he pulled out some more, the franticness would leave? (He felt like he was dying, he couldn’t die again, he couldn’t die again, Bill wasn’t going back to nothing, he was Bill Cipher! He couldn’t die! He was going to die!) Bill didn’t notice that the tourists were gone, didn’t notice the approaching teenager and woman, didn’t notice anything beside the panic.

He couldn’t breath. Maybe a few more. Maybe a few more feathers, he hissed to himself, turning to his wings.   
Bill heard voices, but they were muffled in his panic, so he merely began cawing to himself over the sound. He couldn’t listen to more! He didn’t want the sound, he needed it to stop! Everything needed to stop! He couldn’t breath! His heart was going to explode! And Bill Cipher was DYING. HE COULDN’T GO BACK! HE WAS NOT GOING TO GO BACK TO NOTHING!

Something touched him and Bill instantly snapped his attention away from his feathers, lunging at the blurry shape in front of him, hissing and cawing, before he was screeching. And he couldn’t stop, there was too much and he couldn’t deal with it! Then he just couldn’t anymore.

Bill shut down. He jerked away from it all, snapped his beak shut, and tried to hide. He was fully aware he was shaking, eyes closed so painfully shut to block out it all, but he just couldn’t. 

Then there were surprisingly gentle hands, some soft rumbling of a voice, and the raven was being carefully picked up. And Bill couldn’t bring himself to care. The danger had him. The thing had him. And he was going to die. And Bill was dead. He was dying. And-And... Bill pressed himself against the warmth as he was held in something’s arms, shaking and hating it all.

He was Bill Cipher. And he was terrified. 

~  
  
When Wendy said Bill was freaking out, Dipper didn’t really think much of it. The ex-demon often threw tantrums or started whining in that too-deep, scratchy bird voice he had. But... he wasn’t expecting this.

When they walked into the empty gift shop, the raven form of Bill was standing on the register counter.  
And he was frantically tearing out feathers from his chest and wings, the raven’s mismatched feathers spiked up. And as Dipper cautiously approached, he noted that Bill’s golden eyes were blown wide-opened and the bird was seemingly panting for breath.

This... well it... it reminded him of a panic attack. That’s the best thing Dipper’s mind would provide for him at the moment, and he couldn’t help but stare in genuine concern (as well as some morbid curiosity).

This looked painful. And even though, for a moment, Dipper felt like leaving Bill to suffer through this, he just couldn’t go through with that. He knew how it felt to have no control, to feel like things were going to fall apart, and it wasn’t like Bill could do anything to his family anymore... and it just didn’t sit right to do nothing to help. Even if it was this asshole suffering.

So Dipper cautiously reached out towards the bird, and before he could do something (Dipper wasn’t really sure what to do), Bill lunged at him. Quickly retreating a step, the teenager watching wide eyed as the raven began to screech and hiss, snapping that sharp beak around... before Bill suddenly went deadly still. It was interesting to watch, as Bill suddenly froze and closed his eyes, before he began to shake.

And Dipper couldn’t help but feel bad, so he carefully reached out to pick up Bill, and the raven merely stayed perfectly still as he did so (beside for the shaking and trembling).   
With a sigh, Dipper began to mutter some soft words, “Hey... uh, it’s okay? See nothing, nothing bad’s happening. It’s alright. It’ll... it’s okay.”

And while he didn’t receive an answer, Bill pressed into the contact, burying his face into the teen’s arms with a slight clack of his beak.

Dipper frowned and glanced back at Wendy, “What should we do with him now?”

Wendy merely frowned for a moment, running a hand through her hair. After a pause, she stated mildly, “I don’t know much about birds, dude. Or weird demon birds. But I think what you’re doing now is working, though I gotta admit, still pretty confused on what just happened.”

Dipper hummed in thought before stating lightly, “I think... he had a panic attack or something?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow before giving a knowing look, “Huh. Kinda some comeuppance right there then.” She blew a strand of hair from her face before stuffing her hands in her jeans. “Well... want me to stick around? To help deal with, well that?” She nodded to the bird still trembling in his arms.

The boy bit his lip and nodded slightly, “Please?”

Wendy glanced at Dipper with a reassuring smile, “Alright. So what do you think we should do now?” She walked over and gently ran a finger over the raven’s head, Bill easing at the touch for a moment.   
  
“We can probably just hang out in the living room, let him calm down I guess? I don’t know what you do with birds or demons?” Dipper shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m kind of surprised about this happening.”

Wendy just nodded with a sound of agreement. Dipper sighed and nodded as he slipped into the living room. Mabel would know how to deal with this stuff better. But unfortunately, everyone else was out right now.   
  
Mabel had gone out with her friends earlier, the Stans were out at sea, and Soos and Melody had left for a date night the moment Soos finished his last tour. So that just left him and Wendy. But that was okay. 

Dipper sat down on the old couch and Wendy plopped down beside him as she went for the remote, pausing to glance at him with a light ‘Think this’ll be okay?’ before turning on the Tv with the volume lowered when Dipper gave a light ‘I think it’ll be fine.’ The teenage boy glanced down at Bill and found it kind of ironic that the ex-demon was the one suffering a panic attack now.

Dipper had his fair share of them, though at least he didn’t have to deal with those on top of the anxiety attacks as much as he used to. Though quite a few of those episodes were directly caused by Bill himself. And now here Dipper was, with a trembling Bill in his arms.   
  
It was so weird. Espically with just how bird-like the raven-shaped asshole had been acting. Come to think of it, he should probably look to see if Bill had really hurt himself with all the feather pulling.

With a gentle hand, the teen lightly observed the bird’s feathers, carefully extending Bill’s wings to see what damage had been done. And even though Dipper noted Bill had stopped his shaking and was staring at him with wide golden eyes, the teenager decided to just let him have a moment to gather whatever scrambled thoughts were going through his head.

And from what he understood of Bill, most of his thoughts already were scrambled. So this added stress probably wasn’t the best for whatever sanity the ex-demon had.

And while Dipper found spots were the raven’s beak had cut the skin with the frantic actions of pulling out feathers, most of the areas didn’t look too bad or bloody. So after a moment more of noting the areas he’d have to check on later, the teenager adjusted Bill in his arms again before leaning back against the couch.   
  
And surprisingly enough, Bill seemed to relax further against him. Though Dipper couldn’t blame him, dealing with emotions and shit was exhausting. 

Speaking of tired, the longer Dipper sat there, listening to the soft nonsense of the Tv, the more his eyelids began to droop. Maybe a small nap was well deserved here. Yeah.

~

When Wendy looked over to ask Dipper how Bill was (and to ask the teen if he knew of any good channels on the Tv) she saw he was passed out, head resting back against the couch with his mouth slightly agape. And on top of that, it seemed the bird demon was also falling asleep, head resting on one of Dipper’s arms with eyes fluttering shut. After a moment of observing the two, Wendy gave a light snort before taking a few pictures for Mabel.   
  
With a gentle roll of her eyes and a soft smile, Wendy grabbed a blanket to gently settle over the two before going back to watching the Tv. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry bout this long mess, was writing it while I myself was going through a panic attack, but it turned out alright so after some editing here and there, I decided to post it.


	4. Sleepy Brat

Bill was being a pain in the ass. But when wasn’t he? It was just even more annoying when he wasn’t even trying to be an ass.

He just genuinely didn’t want to sleep. It was a waste of time and, by his book, completely irrelevant. If only he didn’t have a physical form that craved it.

But he DID NOT want to sleep. So he just sat on the couch, blinking and shifting his feet every once and awhile and pointedly ignored Mabel eyeing him.

“Bill?”

He ignored her, eyes drifting close before he jerked back to awareness.

“Bill.”

He merely clacked his beak and shook his head with a croak.

“Go to sleep, dummy.”

The raven finally fixed the teen with a narrowed gaze. She merely stared back so, after a moment, he just hissed, “NO.”

Mabel rolled her eyes and after checking her watch for the time, she simply stood up, “Fine.”

Bill blinked and cocked his head to the side with an inquiring ‘awk?’

Mabel just stretched before regarding him simply, “Well, _I’m_ going to sleep. It’s late, but you do whatever.”

Bill would have pouted if he could, but seeing as he couldn’t, he settled for a harsh croak and gazing away sharply towards the nearby fish tank. 

The teen however just shrugged and left for her and Dipper’s room, Dipper having already gone up to bed hours ago. 

Bill waited a minute before glancing the way the young woman had left, before shaking his head and wandering towards the kitchen. With a mild hop and a few flaps of his wings, he settled onto the counter before getting up on the refrigerator.   
Fuck sleeping, it was so unnecessary. Even if it was like midnight on a cool summer’s night.   
  
So Bill sat up there, trying to think of what he could do beside sleep.   
  
The raven just wasn’t expecting that Melody woman to be up, the woman coming down the hallway from her room, the shack having been renovated a couple years earlier to hold not only her and Soos but all the Pine twins and a few other guests if wanted.  
It was an understandable adjustment, but Bill hated that fact sometimes. Made the place feel too big sometimes, too foreign. 

The woman shuffled along before she noticed him in the dim kitchen light (there was always some soft light in every room of the shack, probably as an after effect of the trauma he’d inflicted on the Pines family and friends) and took a moment to blink her eyes a few times.

Rubbing an eye then, Melody nodded mildly and hummed a soft note, “Well, hello there.”

Bill just stared at her, unsure what to really do. Out of all the people he regularly interacted with, she was probably the one he was most uncertain of. He hadn’t really paid much attention to those outside the zodiac afterall.

As well, Melody was probably the first to get wise to the possibility that he was something else rather than a simply intelligent bird. She had guessed it right off the bat, unknowingly and merely as a throwaway idea, but she’d guessed still. Ford and the others merely assumed he was an aftereffect of Weirdmageddon on the local wildlife.   
And sure, in a sense that was true as well, but Melody had been the one to bring up the idea that he was maybe something else entirely.

Bill was still surprised though that that hadn’t tipped off any of the other Pines in the least bit. Or at least hooked into their wondering at all. Especially with the more paranoid ones like Dipper or Ford usually being the types to jump onto the more ludicrous and outlandish fears. Though that did make sense since he had been dead and gone for some four years. Or at least dead in the sense that even he didn’t know he was Bill Cipher for awhile.

It had still taken nearly a month, after having gotten his memories back and being in the shack, before his actual identity was exposed, by his own accidental doing, but still.   
  
He was unsure of Melody.

So he merely croaked a cautious yet polite, “Hello.”

The woman merely gave a polite smile in return, yawning into her fist before getting a cup of water. Bill just watched, eyes drifting shut every once and while before he simply decided to jump down to the counter.  
The woman had sat down in an open chair, though at his movement she turned to observe him, “It’s pretty late.”

It was probably just said to fill space, but Bill found he wanted to talk, so he merely croaked a brief reply, “Yes. So?”

Melody brushed back some loose strands of her long, wavy hair, “Just a thought. I know why I’m up, but you and the others are usually asleep by now. Though when Stanford and Stanley are around, Ford’s usually a night owl like myself.”

Bill tilted his head with narrowed eyes, “Yeah.”

The woman just nodded mildly, “Yep. You were a demon, right?”

The raven blinked at the sudden change in topic, but cautiously answered anyways, “Yes.” He turned to briefly run his beak along his wing feathers.

“A triangle demon.” It was more of a statement than anything really, but Bill nodded anyway.

Melody cracked a smile, “That is so weird to think about.”

Bill gave an annoyed croak causing Melody to laugh softly, though there was something of a bitter or maybe somber note to it.

“I mean, it is just all so absurd, even if I’ve been living here for some years myself now.” The woman nodded gently to herself, Bill staying quiet. She then turned and asked him, “You know how much harm you did, right?”

Bill blinked, caught off guard, though he felt a peculiar twist inside his chest. The raven merely stayed quiet, though he couldn’t help but give a nervous laugh, glancing away from the woman’s burning gaze.

But Melody seemed to take that as an answer either way, “Yeah, thought so.” She stood up suddenly, finishing off the last of the water in her cup, and moved to drop the glass in the sink.

The raven couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden movement, and when Melody looked back at him, he unconsciously shrank back. The woman merely walked over, and as Bill eyed her with a nervousness his old self would be disgusted at, she merely reached out a gentle hand to stroke him along the head. With a nervous hiss easing from his beak, the raven relaxed into the contact, finding his eyelids fluttering as Melody scratched along his head down his neck.

Then she took her hand away and Bill stepped back to gaze up at the woman curiously. She merely gazed back before covering another yawn with her hand. 

Melody then tiredly said, "If you weren't a bird, I would probably try to kill you."

Bill blinked before laughing out an awkward and surprised, "Yeah?"

Melody just nodded before humming softly, "It's late. I'm going to try to sleep, you should rest too, okay?"

The bird dipped his head in acknowledgement and he watched as the woman then left towards her room. He waited awhile before with a great level of cautiousness, Bill flew upstairs towards the attic. And thankfully, the door had been left open, so he wandered into the younger Pine twin's room and towards the small nest Mabel had constructed for him.

He might as well sleep now, Bill supposed. So he promptly passed out. 


End file.
